A taste of the French Riviera in…Malibu?

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love the ocean. So while in California, I’ve been checking out the coast in different areas – starting in the north and slowly working my way down to the southern beaches where you can actually wear a bikini and not a fleece-lined jacket like you do in San Francisco.

I swear I get fooled every time. I mean, who would have thought you could be sweating buckets at 104 degrees in Sacramento and then drive 90 minutes to the coast to discover it is only 70 degrees there? It’s completely deceiving -- not to mention freezing!

Anyway, this time I wanted to go to “real” beach so I headed to Malibu.

I had never been to Malibu, but I have always wanted to go. Not just because it’s the supposedly where the mega-rich Los Angeles people live, but because of that sitcom “Two and a Half Men” and of course, the Malibu Barbie commercials from the 80s. Yeah…not exactly the best reasons to go, but whatever, I was going.

The drive to Malibu from Sacramento isn’t that bad. It takes about 5 and a half hours, but it goes by quickly. But that could just be me as I have no problem driving the 9 hours to Vegas from here. I’m sure there are some of you who are thinking that’s a little too long to drive just to check out where Charlie and Barbie live.

LUNCH ANYONE?

So was the beach worth it? Not really. It was nice and much warmer than Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, but it’s not like the beaches in Clearwater or Hawaii. The sand wasn’t as soft and you had to kick the seaweed away to make room for your towel. Still, the waves were nice to watch and you could wear shorts without shivering.

While the beach was just okay, what was worth the trip was the lunch.

If you’ve been to any beach then you know what kind of food you can usually find in the nearby places. It’s usually burgers, deep fried fish sandwiches, maybe some cheesy tropical hut place that serves breaded shrimp, beer and watered down margueritas.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with those places and have eaten at them a number of times. There were even a few by the beach in Malibu where I was.

But…when given a choice between a deep fried fish sandwich and a cute little French Bistro, you know which one I’m going to choose. Yup…that’s right. The one that has clean restrooms.

MEET DANIEL FORGE OF BEAU RIVAGE RESTAURANT

You’ll find Beau Rivage off the Pacific Coast Highway and it’s totally unexpected – or at least I didn’t expect it.

You’re walking, feeling hungry, passing the fried joints, when suddenly you see it.  The European style building surrounded by flowers.

Just one look at the little bistro tables and real linen table cloths and I knew this place would have a 4-star wine list.  Suddenly the sand in my flip flops and in my hair didn't matter anymore and neither did my wet shorts.  I was going to eat...and I was going to eat well.

Eating at Beau Rivage is like eating in Provence. The food is fresh and enhanced with fresh herbs and olives. This is because the owners are the real deal. 

Owner Daniel Forge is from France and owned a hotel in Nice with his brother before moving to California 25 years ago and opening the restaurant.  His wife Luciana is from Italy and was a professional opera singer from Rome. And there is no mistaking that they know food and have brought back some of the good stuff from the Riviera.

There is also a Sunday brunch where they have a classical guitarist, but because I was having lunch at 3 p.m. I didn't get to see that.

Still, my late lunch was incredible.  Even though I was not dressed for eating in a fancy restaurant and had absolutely no make up on (I did just come off the beach), Daniel was a gracious host and treated me like I was a millionaire. 

He recommended a pan-seared sea bass with a light sauce -- which was incredible.  It melted in my mouth and was the perfect way to end my Malibu beach trip.

Sadly, I didn't get any wine as I still had a 5 hour drive ahead of me. But next time, I'm going here first and will just watch the waves from their big bay windows.

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